Iran unveils smart cruise missile system, composite armor

The two achievements have been designed and manufactured by Iran’s Defense Ministry experts. They were unveiled in the presence of Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Hassan Firouzabadi and senior Iranian commanders on Monday.

The smart seeker for ballistic missiles is a guidance system which develops the ability to pinpoint targets more precisely in the sea and ground and will boost the combat capability of Iran's Armed Forces. 24.02.14 More

Iran ties among Armenia foreign policy priorities

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has stressed the importance of his country’s bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran, saying that the enhancement of ties with Tehran is among Yerevan’s top foreign policy priorities.

Sargsyan discussed the development of mutual ties between Iran and Armenia during a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Yerevan Mohammad Ra’eesi on Wednesday.

The two sides also talked about the construction of a hydropower plant in the southern Armenian city of Meghri, a third Armenia-Iran high-voltage power transmission line, and the details of projects for a railroad and an oil pipeline. 13.02.14 More

Iran, Russia discuss building 2nd unit in Bushehr NPP

Russia’s Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation says Tehran and Moscow are negotiating the construction of a second unit at Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in southern Iran.

“We are holding a dialog with the Iranian side on the option of prolonging our cooperation regarding the Bushehr NPP,” Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency quoted Nikolai Spassky, Rosatom’s deputy head, as saying on Thursday.

Spassky further said Tehran and Moscow are in the “working stage of discussing the option” of constructing a new unit in Iran’s Bushehr NPP. 06.02.14 More

Iran produces new fighter jet

Iran has manufactured a new generation of jet fighters totally designed and developed by local experts, says a top military commander.

The new generation of the jet fighter Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) is equipped with two separate cockpits, said Iranian Air Force Second-in-Command Brigadier General Alireza Barkhor on Sunday.The aircraft will be unveiled and put into service in the coming months, the commander noted.

The fighter jet is capable of carrying and firing various types of rockets, bombs and missiles, and is fitted with a state-of-the-art radar system. The new aircraft enjoys high maneuverability as well as rapid acceleration, and operates with little error. 03.02.14 More

Iran develops indigenous missile system simulators

The Iranian military has unveiled indigenous simulators for the Shahin (Hawk) and Skyguard missile defense systems, Press TV reports.

The simulators are developed and manufactured by Iranian experts at the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base to enable air defense trainees to experience real electronic war conditions.

The Iranian version of simulators has been upgraded and is faster and more accurate than the actual systems, said the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili, in Tehran on Tuesday. 29.-1.14 More

Iran ready to help Azeri energy sector

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Iran is ready to forge closer energy ties with the Republic of Azerbaijan and transfer its expertise in oil and gas exploration and extraction to its northern neighbor.

In a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Rouhani stated that Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan share numerous affinities, which explains why Azerbaijan’s progress is very important for Iran.

He added that the further enhancement of trade and economic relations between Tehran and Baku can cement the interactions between the two neighboring countries, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to transfer its experience in various fields, including oil, gas and petrochemical sectors, to Azerbaijan. 24.01.14 More

Iranian Police seize over 8 tons of narcotics in Southeastern province in one month

The drug combat squads of Iran's Law Enforcement Troops have seized more than 8 tons of illicit drugs in month-long operations in the Southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan, a provincial police chief announced on Sunday.

“We have discovered and seized 8,500 kilograms of narcotics in several operations carried out in the province throughout the last month,” Sistan and Balouchestan Police Commander Brigadier General Hamid Fahimirad said. 23.01.14 More

UN rescinds Iran's invite for Syria talks

The UN secretary-general has withdrawn his invitation to Iran to join this week's Syria peace talks, saying he is "deeply disappointed" by Iran's statements on Monday. A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon announced the withdrawal less than 24 hours after Ban surprised the US and others by saying he had invited Syria's closest regional ally. The withdrawn invitation came shortly after Iran's UN ambassador declared the Islamic Republic would not join the Syria talks if required to accept 2012 Geneva roadmap.

"The statement today in Tehran by the foreign ministry spokesperson fell short by some measure of what the secretary-general expected to hear," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky, adding that the UN has been in close contact with the US and Russians over the weekend.

Nesirky said senior Iranian officials had assured Ban that Iran understood the terms of his invitation. 22.01.14 More

Iran sends warships to Atlantic

Two Iranian warships set sail Tuesday for the Atlantic Ocean on their navy’s first-ever mission there, state TV reported. The voyage comes amid an ongoing push by Iran to demonstrate the ability to project power across the Middle East and beyond.

The report said that the destroyer Sabalan and the logistic helicopter carrier Khark will be dispatched on a three-month voyage.

“The warships will have task of securing shipping routes as well as training new personnel,” the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Iran’s navy chief Admiral Habibollah Sayyari as saying. 21.01.14 More

French firms seek to return to Iran amid bans ease

Executives from a number of biggest French companies, including energy giants GDF Suez SA and Alstom SA, are scheduled to visit Iran next month.

The visit which signals a fresh wave of corporate interest in Iran comes after the Islamic Republic and six world powers on Sunday finalized an agreement on ways to implement as of January 20 the Geneva nuclear deal already sealed between the two sides, the Wall Street Journal reported.

A spokeswoman for Alstom said the vice president of the power and transport company will accompany the delegation “to test the environment in the country."

GDF Suez also said it was sending Dominique Simonneau, a member of its executive committee and director of European and international relations. 15.01.14 More

Iran kicks off major aerial drill over Persian Gulf

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Air Force (IRIAF) has launched massive military exercises over the Persian Gulf waters in the south of the country.

The drill which kicked off on Friday involves units from all IRIAF bases, and is the main phase of large-scale maneuvers codenamed Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat 4 (Defenders of Velayat Sanctuary 4), said the spokesman for the drill.

Iran set to stage military maneuvers over the Persian Gulf waters

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Air Force (IRIAF) is to carry out military maneuvers over the Persian Gulf waters in the south of the country.

Deputy IRIAF Commander Brigadier General Alireza Barkhor told reporters Thursday that the two-day exercises, which will begin on Friday, are the main and second phase of a large-scale drill codenamed Fada’eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat 4 (Defenders of Velayat Sanctuary 4).

Units from all IRIAF bases are taking part in the three-phase drill, said the senior commander.

The maneuvers are part of annual exercises aimed at testing indigenous air defense systems, improving the units’ combat readiness and displaying the country’s military might and achievements, the commander added. 19.12.13 More

Iran, Russia sign frequency coordination deal

Head of International Specialized Organization Bureau announced Iran and Russia signed frequency coordination agreement on VHF and UHF frequency bands.

"To facilitate using radio stations in UFH and VHF bands, registering them in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and preventing frequency interference, the agreement was signed in the second session on frequency coordination in Russia," he said. 17.12.13 More

Iran-Azerbaijan Joint Border Commission kicks off work in Baku

Senior Iranian and Azeri foreign ministry officials started a meeting of the two countries' Joint Border Commission in Baku on Monday.

During the meeting, Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov underlined the two countries’ determination to further develop bilateral relations, and said, “The future of ties between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan is bright and there are no problems in the relations between the two countries.”

He called the two countries’ borders as the borders of friendship, and expressed the hope that the two-day meeting aimed at reorganizing border affairs would help further improve the relations between Tehran and Baku. 16.12.13 More

Iran says it improves accuracy of missiles

The Iranian defense minister says the country’s military experts have enhanced the precision of domestically-designed and manufactured long-range and ballistic missiles to the level that the projectiles can strike targets with pinpoint accuracy.

“The precision strike lethality of our long-range and ballistic missiles has been improved to the extent that we can hit targets with pinpoint accuracy,” Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan stated in an exclusive interview with Iran’s IRIB2 television network late on Sunday.

He further noted that the Iranian indigenous surface-to-surface missiles’ margin of error, which was 200 meters at some stage in the past, is now two meters. “We strive to reach zero margin of error,” Dehqan pointed out. 10.12.13 More

Iran elected to Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council

Iran is elected to the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for a two-year term.

The Islamic Republic was unanimously elected to the council during the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the OPCW.

The Executive Council consists of the following regional groups: Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Western Europe and other states. Iran will be a representative of the Asian group from May 2014 to May 2016. 05.12.13 More

Iranian MPs to visit Arak heavy water facility

An Iranian parliamentary delegation is to visit the Arak heavy water facility in central Markazi Province, says a senior lawmaker. Members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran's Majlis are scheduled to visit the plant in two weeks’ time, said the committee spokesman Hossein Naqavi Hosseini on Tuesday

The reactor, which uses natural uranium to produce radio medicines, is planned to gradually replace the Tehran research reactor to produce medical radioisotopes for cancer patients. Iran has invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the Arak plant after the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the UN agency signed a joint statement in Tehran on November 12 on a new framework for cooperation. 04.12.13 More

Iran to pursue unfreezing of assets

A senior Iranian banking official says the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) plans to form a task force to pursue the unfreezing of the Islamic Republic’s assets blocked abroad.

Head of the CBI Valiollah Seif said on Monday that Iran’s blocked assets cannot be released swiftly, adding that the Central Bank intends to establish a task force over the course of next week to pursue the issue.

Seif made the remarks when asked whether any of Iran’s frozen assets have been released following the nuclear deal between Tehran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - plus Germany. 03.12.13 More

Iran's Navy launches new 3-D radar called "ASR"

One day before the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) marks its anniversary on November 28th called Navy Day, the IRIN revealed its latest defense achievement. Wednesday Iran’s Naval Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari alongside the Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army, Brigadier General Abdolrahim Mousavi hasve launched the production of a new 3-dimensional Air Surveillance Radar called “ASR”. ASR is a 3-D solid state radar with a phased array system. ASR has a tracking and extracting capabilities with target range and bearing information system. ASR has the functionality and detectability of low-radar cross section (RCS) to detect boats far from the coast, low-flying planes and missiles. Brig. Gen. Mousavi talked about the advancements of Iran’s Navy. 29.11.13 More

Full text of the Iranian nuclear deal

After the White House released a modified version of the deal struck by Iran and the six world powers in Geneva early Sunday morning, the Iranian Foreign Ministry released the text of the agreement.

Iranian Navy to dispatch heavy-class submarine to high seas in East Asia

“The (Iranian) Navy will dispatch the ultra heavy Tareq-class submarine, ‘Younus’ as part of the Navy’s 28th flotilla of warships to the countries of East Asia,” Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy for Operations Admiral Siyavash Jarreh said today.

He underlined Iran's sophisticated technology in the naval industry, saying “The most complicated technology of world’s military equipment belongs to submarines.” He said that Alborz destroyer and Bandar Abbas helicopter-carrier warship will accompany Younus in the Navy’s important extraterritorial mission. 20.11.13 More

Iran unveils attack drone with 2,000 km range

Iran on Monday unveiled a missile-equipped drone with a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles), the official IRNA news agency reported.

"The Fotros drone has an operational range of 2,000 kilometres and can fly at an altitude of 25,000 feet, with a flight time of 16 to 30 hours," Defence Minister Mohammad Dehgan was quoted as saying. 18.11.13 More

Iran hopes to start building 2nd N-plant in 2014

Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi has expressed hope that ground will be broken for the nation’s second nuclear power plant in early 2014 with Russian cooperation.

“We hope to see the construction of the country’s second nuclear power station start at the beginning of the [Iranian calendar] year 1393 (starting March 21, 2014) by the Russians,” said Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), in a televised interview on Tuesday.

Under a protocol signed between Tehran and Moscow, said Salehi, power plants with a capacity of up to 4,000 megawatts could be constructed in Iran.On September 23, Iran officially took over from Russia the first unit of its first 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in Bushehr for two years. The initial construction of the Bushehr facility began in 1975 by German companies, but the work was halted following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. 13.11.13 More

Iran Army to hold massive drill in late November

A high-ranking military commander says the Iranian Army's Ground and Air Forces will conduct a massive exercise in late November.

Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan said on Monday that the capabilities of armored and airborne units will be tested in the drill, codenamed Qamar-e Bani Hashem.

He added that asymmetric warfare tactics will be practiced during the war games, and various armored, artillery, airborne and electronic units of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces will participate in the military exercise. 12.11.13 More

Iranian deputy industry minister shot dead in Tehran

An unidentified attacker shot dead an Iranian deputy minister of industry in Tehran on Sunday, the state news agency IRNA reported, in what appeared the first reported killing of a senior central government official in years.

Safdar Rahmat Abadi was shot in the head and chest as he got into his car in the east of the capital, IRNA said, quoting witnesses as saying the attack occurred at about 7:50 p.m. (1620 GMT).

"Investigations show that two shots were fired from inside the vehicle," the agency quoted a police official as saying. 11.11.13 More

Iranian Parliament backs country's diplomatic apparatus

The deputy speaker of Iran’s Majlis on Tuesday expressed support for the “powerful and efficient” diplomatic apparatus of the Islamic Republic. On October 27, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani described the support and cooperation of Majlis as necessary for the success of his administration. 05.11.13 More

Iran Navy expands presence in southeastern coast

“The Navy has envisaged extensive measures in this regard. For example, its forces have been stationed in areas such as Jask, Konarak and Pasabandar,” Sayyari said in a Thursday interview.

The Iranian commander pointed to the strategic importance of Iran’s southeastern coasts, saying that Iran's Makran coastline, stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to Pasabandar Port, can be considered as “the most important coastline of the country” due to its favorable geographical situation and its proximity to the ocean. 01.11.13 More

Iran new satellite ready for lift-off into space: Minister

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan says the country’s new domestically designed and manufactured satellite is ready to be launched into orbit, and it will be lifted into space in due time.

“Presence in space is a strategic issue and indicates the scientific, technological and industrial power of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Dehqan said in the Iranian Persian Gulf island of Kish on Tuesday.

He added that Iran enjoys “acceptable potential and capabilities” regarding the manufacture of satellites and satellite carriers as well as lift-off of satellites and their navigation in the space. 30.10.13 More

Iran claims to decrypt enemy confidential data

The chief of the
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says the IRGC cyber forces
have decrypted the most confidential data of enemy states.

“Today, our cyber forces have easily accessed the most confidential
information [encrypted] by the enemy and [our] cyber warfare
capabilities have been effectively improved,” Rear-Admiral Ali Fadavi
said on Sunday as he inaugurated IRGC Navy Information Technology (IT)
systems.

Underscoring the “daily increasing activities of enemies in the
cyber space”, the admiral said: “Counterrevolutionary [circles] have
remarkably added to their Farsi-language satellite channels in the past
one month. In the light of this trend, we have to enter this sector by
relying on our own experts with more determination and seriousness.”7.10.2012

Iraq to stop Iran flights over suspicions of Syria arms

Iraq is determined to stop and search flights from Iran
over its territory which are suspected of carrying weapons to Syria,
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said in comments reported on Sunday.

"We have assured US
officials that the Iraqi government is determined to land (Iranian)
flights and carry out random searches," Zebari said, quoted by Arabic
daily Al-Hayat.

The Iraqi minister added that his government had
told Tehran "to stop the flights and stop arming or financing the
(Syrian regime) or any other party to the conflict." Zebari said Iraq
would not "not accept being a transit point or passage way for... arming
or financing" the Syrian conflict.

No Iran report with new bomb research information: IAEA

The U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had not prepared a report with new information about suspected atomic bomb research in Iran, after Israel urged it to go public with all information it has regarding such suspicions.

Israel's statement followed a Reuters report on Thursday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had planned a major report on Iran last year that might have revealed more of its alleged activities that could be used for designing a nuclear warhead, but had held off as Tehran's relations with the outside world thawed.

Sources familiar with the matter said the IAEA apparently had not gone ahead with writing the report and that there was no way of knowing what extra information might have been included in such a document, although one source said it could have added to worries about Iran. 28.02.14 More

Iran to hold radiation defense drill, exercising nuclear leak control

Iran plans to hold a maneuver dubbed 'radiation defense' in a bid to practice management of nuclear leak late April or early May, Head of Iran's Civil Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali announced on Sunday.

"The important point regarding nuclear facilities is that we should be ready against natural disasters such as earthquake to prevent leak in nuclear infrastructures," he said.

He also noted that the main aim of nuclear leak crisis plan is practicing ways for protecting, rescuing and helping people and conducting required evacuation at the time of leak, if needed. 10.02.14 More

Iran unveils two domestically developed satellites

The Islamic Republic of Iran has unveiled two indigenously developed satellites that could be used for a variety of purposes.

The satellites Tadbir (Prudence) and Persian Gulf were put on display during a ceremony in Tehran on Monday attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan, Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Shariatmadari and a number of local space experts and academics, marking National Space Technology Day. 04.02.14 More

Iran Majlis delegation officially invited to visit UK

The British parliament has officially invited a delegation from Iran’s Majlis to visit the UK, says the head of the Iran-Britain Parliamentary Friendship Group.

“Considering the positive stance of the British parliamentary delegation during their [recent] visit to Iran and their stances after their return [to their country], we have verbally agreed on the British MPs’ invitation,” said Abbas Ali Mansouri Arani.

The UK parliament’s invitation letter is due to be discussed at a Majlis committee charged with approving foreign trips, he added. 30.01.14 More

IMF to resume annual evaluations of Iran economy

The International Monetary Fund said Thursday, Jan 23, that it will resume annual evaluations of Iran's economy, suspended by Tehran since the organization's last mission nearly three years ago, AFP reported.

"There's an agreement to undertake an article IV review in Iran... There was a bit of a break in recent years," IMF spokesman William Murray said.

A mission will visit the country on Jan 25 for the first talks under the Article IV reviews, in which IMF officials take a critical eye to a country's economic situation and management after discussions with officials as well as businessmen, politicians and civil society groups. The IMF team then issues a report reviewing progress, shortcomings and challenges facing the economy. 24.01.14 More

Iran suspends 20% enrichment, starts oxidization

Iran has suspended 20 percent uranium enrichment as part of a deal struck between Tehran and six major world powers in the Swiss city of Geneva last November.

Iran has suspended enrichment of uranium to the 20-percent purity level at Natanz and Fordow nuclear sites in the presence of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors and removed connections between cascades of centrifuges used to produce 20 percent enriched uranium, said Director General for Safeguards Affairs at the (AEOI) Mohammad Amiri.

"From now on, the centrifuges which were used for producing 20 percent enriched uranium will be used for enriching uranium to the five-percent [purity level]," the top Iranian nuclear official pointed out. 20.01.14 More

Finland keen to fund and accomplish Iranian railroad projects

Finland has expressed its readiness for funding and accomplishing railroad and transportation projects in Iran, said an Iranian official in charge of development of railroad, port and airports Massoud Nasr-Azadani.

"Finish representatives of the companies taking part in the session have announced that they are ready to design and accomplish the projects and noted that the Chinese Development Bank will also take part in financing the projects," Azadani told ISNA after a meeting with a delegation of some prominent Finish transportation and development of transportation infrastructure companies. 16.01.14 More

Three Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) members were killed near the Saravan city in Southeastern Iran after their car ran over an improvised explosive device (IED), a provincial official announced on Wednesday.

“At around 6:30 this morning, the vehicle of IRGC’s engineering unit working on the development projects in the province ran into a booby trap,” Deputy Governor-General of Sistan and Balouchestan province for Political and Security Affairs Rajabali Sheikhzadeh told FNA on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, three IRGC personnel have been killed in the blast,” he said.

Earlier this month, terrorists attacked a border checkpoint in Southeastern Iran, killing one soldier and injuring 6 people. 18.12.13 More

IRGC equips drones with guided missiles, bombs

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Mohammad Ali jafari underlined IRGC’s achievement of advanced weapons and military equipment, and said the IRGC is capable of mounting guided missiles and bombs on its drones.

“We have recently acquired the capability to mount guided and precision-targetting missiles with pinpointing capability and bombs on drones, which is actually among branches of advanced hi-tech in this field,” Jafari told reporters in Tehran Thursday.

He referred to Iran’s latest achievements in building drones, and said, “Our latest achievement in this regard is a drone which can fly for 30 hours and high-speed engines can increase its range.” 12.12.13 More

Iran insists on taking delivery of S-300 systems

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic insists on taking delivery of the Russian-made S-300 missile defense systems under a deal cut between the two countries.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Tehran on Wednesday, Zarif said Tehran is adamant that the Russian side fulfill its obligations to supply S-300 missile systems.

On the replacement of S-300 systems with S-300VM Antey-2500 anti-ballistic missile systems, he said Iranian and Russian defense officials have held several round of negotiations, and talks about the issue are still going on. 11.12.13 More

Turkey ready to boost defense ties with Iran

Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz says his country is ready to further develop defense cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ankara is keen to exchange experience and expert teams in the defense sector with Tehran, said the defense chief in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Alireza Bigdeli on Thursday. Pointing to the centuries-old friendship between Iran and Turkey, Yilmaz said mutual visits over the recent years by high-ranking officials of the two regional heavyweights have contributed to the enhancement of bilateral ties.

The Iranian ambassador, for his part, lauded the expansion of Tehran-Ankara ties over the past decade and urged the further expansion of relations between the defense and military institutions of the two neighboring countries. 06.12.13 More

Iran to install new radar system on warships

Iran will install its newly unveiled Asr radar system on the Jamaran destroyer, head of the Iranian Navy's Industrial Research and Self-Sufficiency Organisation Rear Admiral Ali Gholamzadeh said, Fars news agency reported on Dec. 4.

The Asr naval phased array long range radar system being manufactured by the Navy Industrial Research and Self-Sufficiency Organisation was unveiled on Nov.27. Gholamzadeh went on to note that the radar is also planned to be installed on the Sahand destroyer which is being built. 04.12.13 More

Iran, Russia discuss plans to build new nuke plant at Bushehr

Iran and Russia are discussing plans to build a new nuclear power plant at Bushehr, with construction set to begin next year, Iranian media reports said Sunday, December 1 citing the country’s nuclear chief, according to RIA Novosti.

Ali Akbar Salehi told state broadcaster IRIB that Iran was negotiating with Russia a deal to produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity, and Moscow has "expressed its readiness to build."

"With the progress made in the Geneva talks, next year we will see the start of construction on another nuclear power plant in Bushehr," AFP quoted Salehi as saying. 02.12.13 More

3 new warships to join Iranian Navy fleet on December 1

“Two missile-launcher warships, namely Neyzeh and Tabarzin, as well as Sirjan logistic warship will join the Navy’s military fleet on December 1 (Sunday),” Commander of Iran’s Second Naval Zone Rear Admiral Mohammad Reza Abbasian told reporters, addressing a press conference in the Southern city of Bushehr today.

He noted that the three vessels have been fully renovated by Iranian experts and by using indigenized knowledge.

The Iranian Navy has accelerated and widened its progress after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei described it as "a strategic force". 27.11.13 More

Blasts at Iranian embassy in Beirut kill at least 23

Two explosions rocked the Iranian Embassy compound in Beirut on Tuesday killing at least 23 people and injuring scores, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The Iranian ambassador, Ghazanfar Roknabadi, confirmed on Al Manar television that the cultural attaché, identified as Sheikh Ibrahim Ansari, was killed in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which seemed to fit a pattern of deepening sectarian division across the region inspired by the civil war in Syria.

The area where the attack took place, Bir Hassan, is populated by Shiite Muslims. Apart from the Iranian diplomatic mission, it also houses an office of the Shiite Amal Party, an ally of Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group that is sponsored by Tehran and which has sent its militia forces to fight rebels in neighboring Syria. 19.11.13 More

Iran launches new missile production line

Iran inaugurated production line of a new missile as it completed research on defense system project in a ceremony attended by Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan on Saturday.

"Sayyad (Hunter 2) missile was designed and built to provide defense equipment and confront air strikes," Dehghan said. "The missile works with solid fuel and with combined (hybrid) directing system. It enjoys high operational capabilities," he added.

Sayyad 2 is a mid-range aerial defense system designed based on new technologies. It is able to annihilate drones and targets which have high speed and maneuver capability. The system with high anti-electronic war power is able to intercept targets automatically and independently. 11.11.13 More

Iranian channels targeted 66 times in 3 years

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) says Iranian channels have been taken off air from 27 satellites 66 times over the past three years by those claiming to be the advocates of freedom of speech.

Ezzatollah Zarghami made the remarks in an interview with Iran’s Young Journalists' Club (YJC) on Thursday. Zarghami noted that in addition to this, the channels have been repeatedly blocked or distorted through jamming of their transponders.

“This is while the Islamic Republic of Iran has been falsely accused of jamming [foreign radio and TV broadcasts] and sometimes it is claimed that the source [of the jamming] is outside Iran,” he stated. 07.11.13 More

Iran’s negotiating team arrives in Geneva

The Iranian negotiating team has arrived in the Swiss city of Geneva for a fresh round of talks with the representatives of six major world powers over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, China and Russia - plus Germany are to sit at the negotiating table set for 7 and 8 November to discuss Tehran’s nuclear energy program. The two sides wrapped up two days of nuclear talks in Geneva on October 16. 06.11.13 More

Iran, Iraq to finalize new gas deal

A senior Iranian energy official says Tehran and Baghdad will soon finalize a deal under which Iran will pump natural gas to its western neighbor to fuel power plants in the southern Iraqi province of Basra.

The agreement will see Iran export 25 million cubic meters (mcm) of natural gas per day to Iraq to fuel Basra power stations, said Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) Hamid Reza Araqi on Monday. 04.11.13 More

Japan FM to visit Iran on November 9

Japan’s foreign minister plans to visit Iran after the upcoming round of talks between the Islamic Republic and six major world powers in Geneva in November.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday that he is scheduled to pay a visit to Iran on November 9, shortly after Tehran and the six powers - the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany - wrap up talks on Iran’s nuclear energy program in Geneva, AFP reports.

Iran and the six powers held two days of negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program behind closed doors in Geneva on October 15-16. The two sides agreed to meet again in the Swiss city on November 7-8. 29.10.13 More

Military helicopter crashes in Iran

An Iranian helicopter of the Revolutionary Guards crashed in western Iran near the Iraqi border killing four Guards on Saturday, the force's website Sepahnews reported.

It did not specify the type of aircraft, saying only that the helicopter suffered "technical failure" while on a mission in Sardasht border area, which is populated by Iran's Kurdish minority. 27.08.12 More

Iran starts construction of largest air defense base

Iran's Air Defense Force has commenced the construction of the Islamic Republic’s largest air defense site in the southern Iranian city of Abadeh.

At a Tuesday ceremony, marking the commencement of the construction project, Mohammad Hosseini, a deputy commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, underscored the importance of air defense as one of Iran's major requirements under the prevailing circumstances. 23.08.12 More

Iran unveils upgraded short-range missile

Iran’s president on Tuesday unveiled an upgraded version of a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile just weeks after it was test-fired, the country’s state-media reported.

At the ceremony for Fateh-110, or Conqueror, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a group of defense officials that Iran wants to advance its defense technology "not in an aggressive context, but as a deterrence."

"We do not seek it for conquest, domination of neighboring countries and the world. We do not want it because of defiance," said Ahmadinejad, according to state TV. 21.08.12 More